


in your own time

by acciomerlin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Fluff and Humor, Jealous Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), M/M, Magic Revealed, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26733007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciomerlin/pseuds/acciomerlin
Summary: Arthur and Will were simply two people Merlin knew would never get along. So, all he had to do was keep them away from each other.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 660





	in your own time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [excalibhr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/excalibhr/gifts).



Merlin was unusually quiet that morning. There were no sunny smiles and corny greetings, just a comfortable silence and his eyes faraway with contemplation.

Arthur didn’t think he was upset -just preoccupied. And of course. Of course he knew that with just a glance at Merlin.

Arthur hated himself for it because he _shouldn’t_ be this attuned to his manservant’s moods but he was. He couldn’t help it. Merlin was…well, _Merlin_. It was simply impossible for Merlin to blur into the background. His presence demanded attention and Arthur was apparently only too willing to give it.

Merlin was making up the bed with surprising speed and efficiency, which was definitely out of character because usually Arthur almost had the impression that he was deliberately slow in his morning tasks. Not that Arthur minded any time he got alone with Merlin, which was honestly as sad as it sounded.

“Is everything okay, Merlin?” he asked finally.

Merlin glanced up and flashed him a brief smile. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“You’re being competent, for once,” Arthur remarked. “I’m concerned for your health.”

Merlin snorted and straightened up, walking to the wardrobe to pick out Arthur’s clothes for the day. “I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a compliment or an insult.”

“Whichever you prefer,” Arthur answered with a smirk.

“Honestly, though,” he continued more seriously. “Is there something wrong? You seem to be in quite a hurry.”

Merlin sighed and turned towards him. “Actually, there is something.”

Arthur leaned forward in his chair and gestured for him to go on.

“I was wondering, well -I wanted to ask –” Merlin bit his lip. “I wondered if I could have a couple of days off. My mother is coming to visit and I wanted to show her around and spend some time with her.”

Merlin looked so nervous about the request that Arthur had to suppress a fond smile. “I hope this isn’t just an excuse to lounge about in the tavern for two days.”

Merlin huffed in indignation. “Of course not! I don’t even know where the tavern is.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to need proof,” Arthur said smoothly. “Guess I’ll just have to meet your mother in person to know if you’re telling the truth.”

A slow smile took over Merlin’s face. “You want to meet my mother?”

“If only to offer her my sympathies for having to deal with you for nearly two decades,” Arthur replied quickly, lest Merlin get any other ideas. Even if the ideas were true.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Naturally,” he said. Grinning, he added, “Fine. I’ll introduce you to her, even if I’ll probably regret it later.”

“Good,” said Arthur. “When is she reaching Camelot?”

“Uh, sometime today, I reckon.”

“All right, I can let you off for the next few days,” Arthur agreed a little ruefully, already dreading the inevitable possibility that he might start _missing_ Merlin.

Merlin nodded. “Thanks. And don’t worry, I’ll attend to you in the evenings.”

Arthur’s heart leapt up in relief but he shook his head. “That’s okay. You can have the entire day off –”

“No,” Merlin interjected flushing, ducking his head to hide his smile. “It’s fine. I’ll be here.”

Arthur didn’t put up much of an argument after that and if Merlin’s little smile was what carried him through the day, then no one had to know.

***

Merlin bounded down the castle steps towards the citadel gates, dodging children and women with baskets on his way. Gaius had informed him that a wagon from the border of Camelot had just reached the city and was unloading its wares. His mother had to be in that.

He ran into her on the street, his face splitting into a huge grin as he saw his mother’s tired but happy face.

“Mum!” he exclaimed, enveloping her into a tight hug.

Hunith squeezed back, stroking the back of his head affectionately. “Oh, my boy,” she said. “How I’ve missed you.”

Merlin smiled into her shoulder and then opened his eyes as she released him, only to be greeted with the sight of Will who was grinning at him wildly.

Merlin was so surprised at seeing his childhood friend there -in Camelot, of all places -that he floundered for a second. _“Will? How -What_ are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d tag along with your mum,” Will answered, grin widening. “Since I haven’t seen your sorry arse in a while. You don’t mind, do you?”

Merlin shook his head and laughed. “Of course not, you berk. Come here,” he said, tugging Will forward into a fierce hug.

Will ruffled his hair as they parted and looked up at castle with a reluctantly impressed face. “So, this is Camelot.”

Merlin followed his gaze, frowning a little when a sudden moment caught his eye near one of the balconies overlooking the street.

That had almost looked like -no, Merlin was probably imagining it. There was no reason for Arthur to be lurking about watching the comings and goings of everyone. He was most likely training with the knights.

Merlin sighed, blinking a few times to banish the image of the annoying prat who seemed to be on his mind all the bloody time, and turned towards Will and his mum.

“Surprised to see your head still attached to your shoulders, even after a year,” Will teased, slinging an arm around his neck as they walked towards the castle.

“William!” Hunith admonished. “Please, no talk of _that_ while we’re here. The topic is dangerous enough as it is.”

Merlin rolled his eyes and flicked Will’s ear. “It’s fine, Mum. People here are shockingly oblivious.”

Will snickered. “So, your precious prince doesn’t know about your secret then?”

Merlin swallowed and looked down. “No. And can we not talk about Arthur right now?”

Hunith placed a gentle hand on his arm and said in a concerned voice, “He isn’t mistreating you, is he? Or taking advantage of you just because he’s in a position of power? Because these nobles –”

“ _No,_ no,” Merlin interrupted, grabbing her hand in reassurance. “It’s nothing like that. I mean, he is a bit of a spoiled brat but he’s also my friend.”

Will scoffed. “Right. Your friend.”

Merlin held his tongue. It wasn’t an argument worth getting into. He wanted to defend Arthur, defend the unique relationship they’d spent over a year cultivating but he knew that Will’s distrust of nobles was also well-founded and there was nothing to be done about it.

Arthur and Will were simply two people Merlin knew would never get along. So, all he had to do was keep them away from each other.

***

Arthur didn't like Will.

Arthur disliked Will a great amount, despite only having heard about him from his manservant and seen a brief glimpse of him hugging Merlin.

Merlin had reluctantly given up his identity that evening after Arthur had prodded at him relentlessly, overcome with the need to know who else was manhandling Merlin so openly. Even more so than Arthur did. Arthur had never hugged Merlin that tight, never hugged him at all. Now it was all he wanted to do.

Merlin, of course, seemed pleased that his ‘friend’ was visiting, which wasn't out of the ordinary he supposed but it still didn't sit right with him. There was something more there.

The way Merlin talked about Will was horribly fond, regaling Arthur with stories of their childhood.

It made Arthur feel insufficient, somehow lacking -simply because he hadn’t entered Merlin’s life earlier. It was an infuriating feeling and Arthur didn’t enjoy the burn of jealousy that had settled into his stomach.

The topic of Merlin’s hometown, when it came up, always took an unsavoury turn from a nice, intimate talk about Merlin's life in Ealdor to his boyhood shenanigans with Will.

Merlin talked about him wistfully and if Arthur wasn’t convinced before that there was something between him and Will, he was convinced now.

Simply put, it was driving him mad. And making him act thoughtlessly.

Arthur cancelled a training session just to spy on Merlin. It was so beyond inappropriate and shameful that he didn’t even want to ponder on where his moralities lay.

He sat impatiently in Gaius’s chamber, having gone there under the guise of having muscle pain in his right shoulder. Gaius wasn’t there and to his immense frustration, neither was Merlin. After a brief introduction, Merlin’s mother started preparing a salve for him, watching him carefully from the corner of her eyes.

It set Arthur on edge, made him feel like he was being tested. For what, he had no idea.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, do you know when Merlin will be back?”

Hunith glanced at him. “I’m sure he must be on his way. He and Will have a tendency to get carried away and lose track of time when they’re together.”

It was a fairly innocuous statement, innocent when taken out of context but that didn’t stop Arthur’s mind from conjuring images of Merlin and Will being… _together._

He flushed and nodded to cover it up, trying to not let anything show on his face. “Right. Um, well I best be going then, if the salve is ready.”

Hunith was looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes. She didn’t look like she was going to hand over the salve to him any time soon, even if it was obviously ready.

“Sire,” she said. “Forgive me if I’m overstepping but didn’t you give Merlin a few days off?”

“Yes,” he answered, feeling less like the Crown Prince and more like a child who was being interrogated for mischief.

“Then what do you need him for?” she asked him with a critical gaze, propping a hand on her hip and holding his salve hostage in her other hand.

Arthur swallowed and stuttered, “Err, it’s nothing. I was just –” he desperately wracked his brain for an excuse. “ -I was just wondering where he kept my…um ceremonial robes. Yes, my ceremonial robes. I need them.”

Hunith’s face softened as she studied him and Arthur felt strangely exposed. “I don’t mean to be presumptuous but wouldn’t they be in your wardrobe?” she asked, amused.

Arthur rolled his eyes, lips quirking up. “Normally, yes but with Merlin, you can never be sure. He’s rather hopeless, isn’t he?”

Hunith laughed and Arthur’s heart eased a little.

“Yes, I suppose he is,” she replied. “But I wouldn’t know what to do without him.”

“I know how that feels,” he murmured. “It must be hard to be away from him for so long.”

Hunith nodded, with a sad tilt of her head. “It is and I miss him dearly but I think there are others who need him more than me now.”

She gave him a warm smile and Arthur couldn't help but feel like he wasn't fooling her, that she knew exactly why he was here. Which was humiliating because he was nursing affections for someone who was clearly still besotted with his lover from back home. And his mother knew about it, for god's sake. It would be a miracle if Arthur had any dignity left by the end of this whole ordeal.

Just as he made up his mind to make a quick escape, salve be damned, the door opened loudly and Merlin and Will spilled inside, laughing and looking rumpled.

Merlin had colour high on his cheeks and his eyes were bright with mirth. Arthur’s heart gave a longing jolt and then immediately wilted upon seeing the person who was responsible for Merlin’s happiness.

“Oh, you’ve already met Arthur,” Merlin addressed his mother in a surprised tone as he walked inside, Will following with a surly glare in Arthur’s direction. “Good. He wanted me to introduce you two anyway.”

Hunith had a glint in her eyes as she settled her gaze on Arthur. “Did he now?”

Arthur could feel an embarrassed flush creeping up his neck and he had the desperate urge to flee. “Yes,” he said as casually as possible. “I wanted to see the person who’d raised this idiot –”

“Hey!” Will hissed suddenly. “Don’t call him an idiot!”

Merlin intervened hastily. “Will, it’s fine –”

Arthur inhaled sharply. "Excuse me -"

“What, you think you can call Merlin whatever you want and get away with it, just because you happened to be born with a silver bloody spoon in your mouth?” Will continued, his eyes shooting daggers at Arthur.

Arthur’s temper rose as well and he took a threatening step towards Will. “I don’t know who you think you are but you’re in _my_ kingdom and you can’t talk to me that way –”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Will spat.

Anger simmered in Arthur’s gut and he levelled Will with a dangerous look. “I think you’ll feel differently when you spend the next week rotting in the dungeon –”

“Arthur!” Merlin exclaimed, shocked. “What is the matter with you?”

“What is the matter with _me?”_ Arthur huffed in disbelief. “He started it –”

“Boys,” Hunith interjected, pushing the salve in Arthur’s hand. “This behaviour is beneath both of you.”

Arthur snorted and Hunith gave him a stern look.

He exhaled and stepped back. “Whatever. I should go, I don’t have the time to waste on the likes of _you_.”

Will sneered at him but didn’t respond.

Merlin frowned and clutched Will’s arm to hold him back but there was something so intimate in the gesture that Arthur clenched his fists from saying or doing anything he’d regret.

He stalked out of the chambers without another backward glance and slammed the doors shut behind him. He leaned back against them and tried to regulate his breathing.

There were noises coming from inside the room and Arthur ears perked up as he shifted closer to hear them better, against his better judgement.

“You couldn’t just let it go, could you?” he heard Merlin shout.

“He called you an idiot!” Will countered heatedly.

“Yeah, and?” Merlin asked angrily. “I’ve called him worse! _You’ve_ called _me_ worse!”

“That’s different! We’re friends.”

“Then it’s not different at all, is it?” Merlin shot back. “He’s my friend too.”

Will laughed in derision and Arthur wanted to charge in there to punch the stupid git. “ _Friends?_ You’re just his servant, Merlin! People like him don’t make friends with people like us.”

There was a pregnant pause and then Merlin spoke, his voice wavering, “Look, I know it’s difficult for you to understand but it’s not like that. _Arthur’s_ not like that.”

“Friends don’t keep secrets from each other, Merlin,” Will said finally.

There was silence from Merlin’s end.

Arthur’s heart thudded loudly in his chest because this was it, wasn’t it? Merlin had a secret that Will knew. A secret Will was disappointed that Merlin hadn’t told him. A secret that clearly involved Will.

It all made sense. Will had probably guessed how Arthur felt for Merlin and was frustrated that Merlin hadn’t told him that he was unavailable.

“Will, you know I can’t tell him that I have –” Merlin started to say but Arthur was already backing away from the door, his stomach twisting in knots.

He didn’t know how he made his way to his chambers but he did, desperately trying to keep his heart from breaking.

He should have known.

Of course Merlin already had someone. How could he not? Merlin with his wit and charm and _damn cheekbones,_ of course Will had snatched him up. Arthur couldn’t even blame him.

And now Merlin was here, in Camelot, away from his lover and spending all his time with Arthur instead. No wonder he got moody sometimes. Will had most likely visited Camelot to convince Merlin to go back to Ealdor with him, told him how much better he would treat him than Arthur did.

And Merlin, the self-sacrificing idiot that he was, would probably decline.

Arthur’s chest constricted painfully at the mere thought of Merlin leaving but he made his decision in a split second. No matter how much it hurt him, it was the right thing to do.

He collapsed face down on his bed and groaned loudly into his pillow.

As he had expected, it wasn’t long before Merlin came to find him. Arthur straightened up instantly and prepared himself.

Merlin burst into Arthur’s chambers, no etiquette or decorum _whatsoever,_ and Arthur smiled sadly because this might be the last time he would see Merlin do it.

Merlin looked distressed, his lips bitten pink and his hair looking like he had dragged his hand through it too many times.

He exhaled. “Look, Arthur. About before, I don’t know what to say except –”

Arthur took a deep breath to brace himself. It was now or never.

“You should go back to Ealdor.”

“ -I really have no idea what came over Will - _what?_ ”

Arthur nodded and averted his gaze, his jaw set. “I said you should return to Ealdor, Merlin.”

Merlin stared at him and his voice shook when he spoke again. “You don’t mean that.”

Arthur swallowed and crossed his arms. “You’ll find that I do. I overheard you talking to William after I left.”

Merlin’s eyes went wide with fear. “Arthur, I can explain. _Please_ let me explain before you make any rash decisions. I swear I meant to tell you –”

“There is no need for any explanations, Merlin,” Arthur informed him, managing to appear deceptively cool despite the turmoil in his mind.

Merlin took a shuddering breath and nodded. “So, this is it then? You’re really doing it? You're banishing me for my magic?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not banishing –” he whirled around to gape at Merlin. “ _Your what_?"

Merlin looked even more alarmed if possible and backtracked quickly. "No -Nothing,” he stammered. “Forget I said that "

Arthur shook his head to clear it. "Did you say your _magic_? You have magic?"

Merlin pursed his lips and stared at him with big, pleading eyes. "Arthur."

Arthur’s head was in a jumble. He knew Merlin had revealed something earth-shattering, something that would change everything, something he should address _immediately_ but his mind seemed to be only ringing with one thought and it had nothing to do with sorcery.

Oh, to hell with it. Arthur always knew there was something different about Merlin anyway. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Arthur regarded him with narrowed eyes. "That's what you were talking about before? Your secret?"

Merlin looked confused and thoroughly taken aback at the direction of the conversation. "Yes?"

Hope flared swiftly in Arthur’s chest and he tried not to sound too giddy, "So you and Will are not lovers?"

Merlin looked at him like he’d gone mad. "Me and Will _-what are you talking about?_ ”

"Are you?" Arthur demanded.

Merlin threw up his hands in disbelief. "Arthur, I just told you I have magic!"

"Yes, I heard that, Merlin. I'm not deaf," Arthur snapped irritably. "Now answer the question."

Merlin just gaped at him in utter bewilderment. Arthur raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

"N -no. Will and I are not and have never been together," Merlin stammered finally, blinking rapidly. "Arthur, you do know what magic means, right? It means I am a sorcerer."

Arthur waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, we'll talk about that later. I'm just having trouble believing that there's nothing between you and Will."

" _That’s_ what you're having trouble believing?" Merlin cried, pushing a hand exasperatedly through his hair. "Good lord - _no,_ you great prat! Will is not the one I have feelings for. I've literally been attending to you in the evenings despite your having given me the whole day off. _Why do you think that is?_ "

"I don't know how your mind works!” Arthur retorted, scowling. “I'm just glad you're staying away from that ill-mannered, disrespectful little wanker."

Merlin studied him for a moment, his eyes flitting all over Arthur’s face.

"Arthur, are you jealous?" he asked suspiciously, coming to stand closer to Arthur.

"No, of course not!" Arthur denied quickly. Too quickly.

Merlin took several angry steps towards him and accused, "You are, _aren't you?_ You're _so_ jealous that you just _ignored_ the fact that I'm a sorcerer, a secret that's been killing me inside _for a year_! I should have known. I should have _known_ you're the most predictable, possessive, terrible prick to ever exist and I don't know _how_ I stand you. Gods _Arthur_ –”

Merlin made a frustrated noise and then the next thing Arthur knew, Merlin was kissing him.

_Merlin was kissing him._

He tugged Arthur forward by the collar of his tunic to firmly plant his lips on Arthur’s.

He didn't know if it was the sorcery or just Merlin but once he got over his surprise, Arthur definitely wasn't complaining about the kiss.

He caught a glimpse of gold in Merlin’s eyes when they pulled away after long moments and Arthur’s breath caught at the sight.

Merlin leaned his forehead against Arthur’s. "Now, do you believe me?" he asked breathlessly, his gaze bright.

"Mmm, might need some more convincing," Arthur murmured, thumbing Merlin's lower lip and watching as his eyes fluttered close.

Merlin pressed forward for another kiss but Arthur stopped him with a hand on his mouth.

There was a pause. Merlin’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Now," Arthur smiled. "About your magic..."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I did your prompt justice and you liked it, Emmalyn <3 Ily.
> 
> Thank you for reading, everyone else!!
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](https://acciomeriin.tumblr.com/).


End file.
